Automatic scale.



F. H. HEADEN.

AUTOMATIC SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED 312.12, 1912.

Patented July 9,1912.

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F. H. HEADBN.

AUTOMATIC SCALE.

APPLIGATION nun rmmz, 1912.

1,032,209. I Patented July 9,1912.

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UNITED STATES BATENT OFFICE. I

FRANK H. HEADEN, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

To all wit-0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. HEADEN, a citizen ofthe United States ofAmerica, residing at East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Scales, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic scale of the self-dumping type, andhas for its object the production of a simple and accurate scale which,while being constantly supplied with material, will automaticallydischarge predetermined quantities of said material.

In the preferred form of my invention, I preferably utilize a hopperdivided into two compartments, each of said compartments having adischarge valve which is normally held in its closed position bysuitable locking devices. The material flowing into the hopper isdeflected into one of the compartments by an inlet gate adapted to beshifted automatically when a predetermined quantity of material hasentered said hopper. The hopper is supported by a scale beam, andcertain devices controlled by said scale beam are automatically broughtinto service when the weight of the hopper and its contents reach apredetermined degree, to release the discharge valve of the compartmentcontaining the material," and at the same time shift the inlet gate todeflect the material into the other compartment.

Figure I is a vertical section through the housing of my improved scale,with the scale shown therein in side elevation. Fig. II is a fragmentaryview of a portion of the discharge valve operating mechanism. Fig. IIIis a vertical section taken approximately on the line III-III, Fig. I.

In the accompanying drawings: A desig-- nates a housing provided with anintake opening 1 and discharge openings 2. A delivery pipe 3, at theupper end of the housing may be utilized to conduct material to theapparatus.

B designates a hopper open at the top and divided into two compartmentsby a par tition t, each of said compartments being provided with adischarge opening which is normally closed by a discharge valve 5. A

'U'shaped scale b am 0, Which partially y Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application filed February 12, 1912. Serial No. 677,043.

the hopper contents, the scale beam rocks on its fulcrum studs 6, withthe result of operating certain devices to be presently described.

An inlet gate 11, mounted on a rock shaft 12, is arranged below theintake opening 1 for the purpose of deflecting material into either ofthe hopper compartments. A plate 13, having an aperture 14, is fixed toone end of the inlet gate shaft 12.

15 designates a gate operating arm, pivoted at its lower end to arockable block 16 on the scale beam C, said gate operating arm beingprovided with a stud or roller 17 which extends into the aperture 14:.The gate operating arm is yieldingly connected to the gate, preferablyby means of a spring 18. This spring holds the gate operating arm 15 inthe position shown in Fig. I when the gate is positioned to deflectmaterial into the compartment at the right hand side of the partition 4.It should be noted that when the arm 15 is so positioned, its stud 17lies at the left hand side of the aperture 14,. When the scale beamrocks, due to the weight of material in the hopper, the gate operatingarm 15 is elevated and its stud 17 strikes the plate 13 at the left handside of the axis of the gate, thereby moving the gate rightward, withthe result of shutting off the right hand compartment and causing thematerial to flow into the left hand compartment. After the gate has beenshifted, the spring 18 tends to pull the valve operating arm 15rightward and it is permitted to do so when the scale beam returns tonormal position. This final movement locates the stud 17 at the righthand'side of the aperture 14 in the gate plate 13, and when the scalebeam is again operated, said stud will strike the right hand side of theplate 13 to restore the gate to the position shown.

11. new d ri e th ans fo loc g the discharge valves 5 in their closedpositions, and thereafter release them in response to movements of thescale beam.

The discharge valves are hinged to the hopper at 20 and provided withrestoration weights 21 for returning them to their closed positions.Lock arms 22 pivoted to the hopper at 23 are connected to the dischargevalve 5 by links 24. The lock arms 22 and links 24- are thrown overcenter when the valves are moved to their closed positions by therestoration weights 21, and while said arms and links are located inthis position, the valves are locked. Trip levers 25, pivoted to thehopper at 26 and having heels 25 constitute abutments for limiting themovement of the arms 22. hen the discharge valves are closed, theselevers 25 provide for the arms 22 and links 24; being normally retainedin the positions shown, but said levers 25 may be operated to overthrowthe rocker arms 22, thereby releasing the valves. The trip levers 25 areheld engaged with stops 2? by adjustable eompen sating weights 28 havinga function which will be hereinafter described.

A tripping device 29 in the form of a pendant is pivoted to the scalebeam, and provided at its lower end with a stud 30, which extendsthrough an aperture 31 in a rocker 32. The rocker 32 is fixed to a rockshaft 33 and yieldingly connected to the pendant 29 by a spring 34. Therock shaft 33 oscillates during the operation of the apparatus, and aportion of its movement is caused by a weighted arm 35 fixed to the rearend of said shaft and adapted to alternately engage stops 36. hen theparts occupy the position shown, the stud 30 at the lower end of thependant 29 lies under the lever 25 at the right hand side of the rocker32. When the scale beam is operated, due to the weight of material inthe right hand compartment, the pendant 29 is elevated with the resultof lifting the right hand lever 25 to overthrow the lock arm 22 engagedtherewith, thereby releasing the discharge valve of the right handcompartment. This allows the material to be discharged from saidcompartment and the discharge valve is afterward closed by therestoration weight 21. When the pendant 29 is elevated to trip the righthand valve governing means, the rocker 32 is engaged by the stud 30 andshifted to the position seen in Fig. II, and when the scale beam isrestored to normal position, the spring 3 L pulls the pendant 29 to theposition shown in Fig. II. The parts are then positioned to trip theleft hand discharge valve upon the next operation of the scale beam.

It will be noted that the valve operating means and the discharge valvereleasing devices operate in unison to cause the contents of onecompartment to be discharged, and

at the same time deflect material into the other compartment.

It has been found in practice that the scale beam will be balanced by asmaller load at one side of the hopper than at the other side thereofand the contents discharged from the two compartments will therefore beunequal unless suitable compensating devices are employed. Thesecompensating devices are required to obtain accuracy because it isalmost impos sible to fit or adjust the various parts exactly alike onboth sides of the apparatus. To compensate for this variable loadrequirement, I provide the adjustable weights 28, carried by the levers25, one of which must he lifted during ach operation of the scale beam.By varying the weights 28, more or less power will. be required to liftthe levers 25, and as these levers must be lifted through the medium ofthe scale beam, the weights may be adjusted to equalize the loadrequired to trip the two sets of discharge valve devices.

I claim 1- l. A scale comprising a. hopper divided into compartments, ascale beam supporting said hopper, a gate for deflecting material to anyof said compartments, a valve operating member controlled by said scalebeam, and a yieldable connection between said gate and gate operatingmember for shifting the latter after each operation of the valve.

2. A scale comprising a hopper divided into compartments, a scale beamsupporting said hopper, a rockable gate supported independently of saidhopper for deflecting material to any of said compartments, and a gateoperating member pivotally con.- nected to the scale beam.

3. A scale comprising a hopper divided into compartments, a dischargevalve for each of said compartments, a scale beam supporting saidhopper, means for holding said discharge valves in their closedpositions, means, controlled by the scale beam, for alternatelyreleasing said valves, a rockable gate above said compartments for defleeting material to either compartment, a gate operating membercontrolled by the scale beam, and a yieldable connection between saidgate and said gate operating member.

4;. A scale comprising a hopper, a scale beam supporting said hopper,discharge valves, means for holding said discharge valves in theirclosed positions, a tripping device operable by the scale beam torelease said holding means, a rocker operable by said tripping device.and a yieldable connection between said rocker and tripping device.

5. A scale comprising a hopper, a scale beam supporting said hopper,discharge valves, two sets of devices for holding said discharge valvesin their closed positions, a tripping device operable by the scale beamto release either of said sets of valve holding devices, a rockeroperable by said tripping device, and a yieldable connection betweensaid rocker and tripping device for shifting the latter from one of saidholding devices to the other valve holding device.

6. A scale comprising a hopper, a scale beam supporting said hopper,discharge valves, means for holding each of said valves in its closedposition, means operable in unison with the scale beam for releasingeither of said valves, the last named means comprising a pendant adaptedto release the holding means of either valve, a rocker operable by saidpendant, and a yieldable connection between said rocker and pendant forshifting the pendant, after it has re leased one of the valves, to aposition where it may operate to release the other valve.

7. A scale comprising a hopper, a scale beam supporting said hopper,discharge valves, means for holding said valves in their closedpositions, said means comprising levers operable torelease the valves,and adjustable compensating weights carried by said levers; and meansfor operating said levers in unison with operation of the scale beam.

8. A scale comprising a hopper, a scale beam supporting said hopper,discharge valves, means for holding said valves in their closedpositions, said means comprising levers operable to release the valves,and adjust-ablecompensating weights carried by said levers, a trippingdevice carried by the scale beam and adapted to lift said levers, andmeans for shifting said tripping device from one lever to the otherafter it has lifted either of said levers.

FRANK H. HEADEN.

In the presence of A. J. MOCAULEY, E. B. LINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. o

